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Historical record portrays Lucrezia as a beautiful, manipulative creature who participated in incest and sexual orgies with her father and brothers. She thought nothing of carrying out cold-blooded murders, some misterminded by herself others by equally ruthless relatives.
Swords, daggers, garrothing and poison were only a few of Borgias favoured methods of disposing of those who'd displeased the way of their political or material gain.
The fact that one of Lucrezia's 3 husbands and various lovers died under mystherious or gruesome circumstances is no secret.
But was Lucrezia solely a responsible for their deaths, 6r were her jealous brother Cesare and her father the actual mastermind?
While Rodrigo was a cardinal, and then later as Pope, his conduct was most unbecoming to his santity station. He openly kept a string of mistresses, fathered many children, and orgies were said to be commonplace within the papal residence. Cesare and Lucrezia were often seen taking part in their father's licentious exploits.
Nor was it a secret that she had carnal relations with both men on numerous occasions.
Indeed, Cesare's love of his sister was innatural. As a young girl Lucrezia Borgia led a pampered life while her father began investigating beneficial marriagf alliances. Rodrigo arranged and cancelled two betrothalls to spanish nobleman before finally deciding Giovanni Sforza, count of Pesare, was a suitable match.
Lucrezia was 13 when she and Sforza were married. Unfortunately for Sforza, Rodrigo and Cesare decided they'd sold Lucrezia in haste, that she could be better utilised to gain them entrance into the powerful house of Aragon.
Rather than committing outright murder, they publicly declare thdt Lucrezia's husband was impotent, that his marriage to her had not been consummated.
Sforza was outraged and humiliated, maintained the Borgia were liars, and swore revenge agains their house. Lucrezia, while apparently in love with her husband, chose to not go against the machinations of her father and brother.
Sforza was forced to sign a confession of impotence, left Rome and eventually annulled his marriage. Lucrezia was dispatched to a nunnery while her father and brother made arrangements for her next marriage. By February of 1498 rumours were flying that Lucrezia was pregnant.
Pedro Calderon, a Spanish gentleman who had been visiting her father papal court, was named as her lover. Cesare Borgia was furious and trew the unfortunate young man in prison. Days later is body was found floating in the river.
That he had been murdered was obvious. Who had ordered the young Spaniard killed was also obvious, yet none spoke aginst Cesare, whose power and ruthlessness was already firmly enstabilished.
Lucrezia bore a son, Giovanni, in March of 1498- a child that she always reffered to as her"little brother".